


Mates

by Ink_Gypsy



Category: LOTR RPS
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-28
Updated: 2010-02-28
Packaged: 2017-10-07 14:59:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/66266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ink_Gypsy/pseuds/Ink_Gypsy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Dom discourages Elijah from pursuing a relationship with Sean Astin, he tries to convince himself it's because he doesn't want to see Elijah get hurt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mates

"I hear you, Dom," Elijah says, absently thumbing the flint wheel of his lighter as he listens to Dominic's sage advice.

"No, Lighe," Dom tells him plainly, "you may be listening, but you haven't heard a thing I've said. Or if you have, you don't believe a single word of it. But I'm telling you, if you go after Sean, you're playing with fire."

Elijah's thumb slips and flame shoots out of the metal casing, just grazing his flesh. He sticks his slightly singed thumb in his mouth and sucks on it.

Dom can see that his analogy isn't lost on the young American, but he can also see from the look on Elijah's face that he wants this, and isn't willing to give up without considering every possible way of actually making it happen. As if to confirm Dom's suspicions, Elijah suggests hopefully, "Maybe Sean's bi?"

"That's wishful thinking, son," Dom replies.

"Are you sure?" Elijah asks. "The way he looks at me sometimes, with so much love in his eyes."

"We all love you, Elwood," Dom tells him, "but that doesn't mean we all want your cute little ass."

"Are you sure?" Elijah asks again, and for one fleeting moment, a mischievous twinkle replaces the melancholy in his eyes.

"You wanker!" Dom swears at him. He reaches out playfully as if to swat Elijah, but instead lets his hand come to rest on the younger man's shoulder and squeeze gently. "It's because we love you that we don't want to see you get hurt, and that's just what's going to happen if you go after Sean."

"Sean wouldn't hurt me," Elijah says with conviction.

"Not intentionally, no." Dom decides to try logic, as if logic ever stands a chance in matters where the heart -- or the cock -- are involved. "Look, Lighe," he says, "being here in New Zealand, working on this movie, it's been like some fantasy boys camp. We've spent so much time together it's hard to believe we haven't known each other our whole lives, but it's got to end eventually, and we'll have to go back to our real lives. _All_ of us, including Sean. And for Sean, that real life means Christine and Alexandra."

At the mention of Sean's wife and daughter, Elijah bites down on his bottom lip, but not before Dom sees the slight trembling. _Christ_, he thinks, _all I need is for the kid to start crying_. But to Dom's relief, Elijah doesn't cry. Still, it's obvious that just the thought of Sean going home to his family is upsetting to Elijah, so Dom wonders what it's going to do to him when it actually happens.

It didn't take Dom long after meeting him to realize that Elijah wears his heart on his sleeve, but while Dom finds this an endearing trait, it does make Elijah's heart an easy target. And right now, Dom thinks that beautiful heart has a bulls-eye painted right in the middle of it.

All Dom's heard about Elijah since the day he got to New Zealand is how mature he is, how wise beyond his years, and Dom can see he is about some things, like his career. But Dom thinks that might not be the case where his personal life is concerned. _Yes_, Elijah has the worst gutter mouth he's ever heard, and _sure_, Elijah contributes to all the sexual jokes and innuendos that bounce around the set. But Dom also knows that even though he's been in the movie business since he was seven, Elijah has led a very sheltered life. He's just turned eighteen, and despite the smoking, the swearing and the drinking, Elijah's still a kid. And though he has never asked him about it, Dom suspects that Elijah may also still be a virgin. On his own for the first time, Elijah probably wants to finally do something about that, but Dom doesn't think Sean is the person to help him.

"Look, Elijah," he says, trying not to sound patronizing, "it's nothing against Sean. He's a great guy and I think he genuinely cares for you, but he had a life long before he met you, and I don't think he'll be willing to walk away from it, even if he does decide to have sex with you."

Dom has planned his little speech carefully, wanting to appear supportive, but at the same time, determined to discourage any relationship with Sean. He didn't realize until this very moment just how much he wants to keep Elijah and Sean apart. At first he'd convinced himself that he just wanted to spare Elijah pain, pain he knew any involvement with Sean would cause him, but now he's not so sure. Not that it matters because his use of logic has obviously failed. One look at his Elijah's face tells Dom that despite all the valid points he's made, Elijah has heard only what he wanted to hear.

"So you think Sean might really be interested in me?" Elijah asks anxiously, his incredible blue eyes shining bright with hope and anticipation.

Dom throws up his hands in frustration. "Dammit, Elijah, that's not the point! Even if Astin wants to shag you senseless every day until the end of the shoot, it doesn't change the fact that he's married." He gets up and begins to pace. "Don't you know how great you are? No matter how Sean might feel about you, you deserve more than being his little bit on the side. You deserve someone who'll put you first in his life, who isn't using you because he's bored or sexually curious. You deserve someone who truly loves you and only you, someone like-----"

_Jesus, Monaghan, get a grip!_

Dom didn't mean to go that far. He didn't mean to sound like some heroine in a bloody romance novel either, but he got so wound up he couldn't help himself. Elijah, usually so intuitive, hasn't reacted to his little slip, for which Dom is truly grateful, but he still wishes he could get through to the kid. He's only trying to help, after all. Elijah's his mate, and mates look out for each other.

He really believes it will hurt Elijah more if Sean gets involved with him here in New Zealand then abandons him and goes home to his real family. At least if Elijah's love of Sean remains a fantasy, maybe he won't get hurt as badly as he will if that love actually leads to something physical between them. The problem is, Dom is sure he's seen interest in Sean's eyes, at least that's what it looked like to him. With Elijah and Sean working so closely together, it's only natural they would bond more than the others, just as he and Billy have done, but for Sean to use that closeness to take advantage of Elijah would be nothing short of criminal.

Dom thinks Astin's too young for a mid-life crisis. Maybe it's what the Americans call _The Seven-Year Itch_, even though he knows Sean's been married for almost ten. Ten years with one person is a long time, plus he has a child. Maybe he's feeling tied down, and thinks a little bi-curious fling will spice up his love life. But the thought of Sean bedding Elijah and then dumping him when the novelty wears off is almost more than Dom can stand. Elijah is so young and so inexperienced that Don knows being used then tossed aside will hurt him, and Dom can't stand the thought of Elijah being hurt. They're mates, after all, and a bloke should try and stop his mate getting hurt if he can.

Dom wants to make Elijah understand what he's telling him is for his own good, but he knows he's only wasting his time. It's too late. Just by looking at him, Dom can see that Elijah's head is already filled with romantic notions of love conquering all and dreams of happily ever after, dreams that Dom knows will crash and burn once the shoot wraps and reality sets in.

Even though he knows this whole thing is going to end badly, Dom won't let Elijah go through it alone, even if all he can do is stand by helplessly and watch the boy get his heart broken. But after that happens, Dom will be there to help him pick up the pieces. Isn't that what mates are for?


End file.
